IIA. Related Applications
There are no applications related hereto heretofore filed in this or any foreign country.
IIB. Field of Invention
My invention generally relates to optical novelties and more particularly to such a device that simulates a containerized rainbow.
IIC. Description of Prior Art
Since times immemorial mankind has been fascinated with rainbows and much mysticism and folklore has grown up about them. Vestiges of these primordial emotions have survived in modern man so that the rainbow and its simulations still present a desirable ascetic experience. Because of the ephemeral nature of the actual rainbow, the asceticism associated with it is even enhanced by its containerization, since that in the experience of reality is an impossibility. The instant invention seeks to provide an optical novelty item to satisfy and fulfill these latent primordial ascetic desires in modern man.
It has heretofore become known to associate a plurality of pieces of colored glass in adjacent spacial array so that they might be viewed by transmitted light to present an ascetically pleasing pattern or picture. In so doing it has also heretofore been learned that the spaces or matrix between pieces of colored glass must either be non-existent or filled with light opaque material in order to present to a viewer a continuously colored pattern without interspersed areas of ordinary clear, completely admixed light. In general, this knowledge has heretofore been used to present to a viewer colored images that would simulate pictures or designs, such as in stained glass panels of various sorts.
It appears that such optical creations have not in general provided translucent elements, that are not transparent, on both sides of a colored glass panel. It has become known to associate clear panels of one sort or another with colored glass panels, commonly on one side but occasionally on both sides, to provide physical protection for such colored glass panels. The desired effect, however, is to provide protection and in general to maintain the visual imagery of the colored glass panel as clearly as possible so that that panel may be readily observable not only by transmitted light but also by reflected light to maintain integrity of a picture or design simulated thereby. Again, such prior art has shown panels on one or both sides of a colored glass panel generally has not presented the imagery of a rainbow, probably because to do so with the existing art, the structure would be shown in detail and the ascetic mystical, magical effect commonly associated with vestiges of primordial psychology would be lost.
My invention seeks to present a colored glass panel that simulates the colors and shape of a rainbow but yet is carried within a translucent cylindrical container that is not transparent. This type of containment, no matter how the device be viewed, presents a translucent surface on both sides of a colored glass panel, relative to a viewer. This optical arrangement when viewed by transmitted light provides a translucent light scattering surface between the light source and the colored glass panel and also present a similar diffusing surface between the transmitted light from that panel and the viewer, all to make the structural details of the colored glass panel relatively indistinct to an ultimate viewer and present to him an image of ascetic appealability that substantially simulates the ephemeral affects of a natural rainbow. In addition the container, at least as to its peripheral surface, is obvious to the viewer so as to present the imagery that whatever is presenting the rainbow image is contained and thus by similitude conveying to the ultimate viewer the concept that the rainbow he is viewing is contained.
In the prior art in what few instances exist of simulating a rainbow or rainbow-like configuration, in general a relatively limited number of translucent or transparent colored glass elements have been provided. My invention allows the provision of a larger number of such elements depending upon the degree of optical perfection desired. In general, however, I have found five to ten such elements provide a quite finely simulated rainbow image of a nature almost immeasurably different from prior art simulations because of the other elements of my device.
My invention resides not in any one of the structures described per se but rather in the synergistic combination of all of them to provide the functions and results necessarily flowing therefrom.